Hind’s revelations will heighten speculation that the sudden departure of a second CEO designate last week came as a result of disagreement over the remit of ACCA’s top job and the continuing role of current chief executive Anthea Rose. News emerged on Thursday that Desmond Hudson would not take up the post he was due to start on 1 October.

This week, Hind, now chief operating officer at the BBC World Service, said his resignation in the autumn of 2001 had ‘nothing to do with money’.

He said: ‘It was to do with what the role was going to be for the chief executive.’

This week Anthea Rose said that she would be leaving ACCA as planned on 30 September. A spokesman for ACCA said that there was ‘no doubt’ that she would retain a close interest in the association.